As the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) conducts biometric registration of pourakarmikas in the city, the fate of drivers and helpers of garbage collection vehicles has become a bone of contention.
While drivers, helpers and even pourakarmika unions are arguing for their inclusion and demanding that they be paid directly, the BBMP has made it clear they will not be put on the rolls.
The 32,000-strong poukarmarmika list, submitted by contractors in May, includes autorickshaw and tipper drivers, estimated to make up at least 8,000 of the names. “In the new set-up negotiated by Bengaluru Development Minister K.J. George, contractors will continue to rent out their vehicles along with drivers. So we don’t want to bring all of them on our rolls,” a senior BBMP official said. But the civic body has devised no mechanism to ensure this during the biometric registration, which it aims to complete by October 10.
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Maitreyi Krishnan of BBMP Guttige Pourakarmikara Sangha said it has been their consistent stand that the drivers and helpers also should be counted as pourakarmikas.
The workers say they wish to be on direct contract with the BBMP for a monthly wage of ₹17,000.